Coal in Ukraine

Coal reserves

Ukraine's coal reserves are located in the Donets Basin (easternmost part of the country) and in the northwestern area between the cities of Lviv and Volodymyr-Volynskyi. In the early 21st century, country's economically extractable coal reserves were estimated at more than 10 billion tonnes. According to the Ukrainian mining trade union, coal constitutes 95% of Ukraine's domestic energy resources.

There are also abundant deposits of lignite in central Ukraine, but the mining of lignite stalled in the 1990s.

Coal production

In 2012 coal production in Ukraine amounted to 85.946 million tonnes, up 4.8% from 2011. In 2003, Ukraine produced 79.3 million tonnes. Ukraine in 2013 saw a 2.6% decline in coal production from 2012, to 83.698 million tonnes.

Coal mining is one of the biggest industries in Eastern Ukraine. The country's coal industry employs about 500,000 people. More than 90 percent of Ukraine’s coal production comes from the Donets Basin ("Donbass") region.

In July 2014 several mines were closed in Eastern Ukraine because of fighting during the 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine. Because of this War in Donbass (according to the Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Ministry) raw coal production in Ukraine dropped by 22.4% from 2013, to 64.976 million tonnes. As a result, Ukraine begun importing power-generating coal from South Africa and Russia. Lack of coal for Ukraine's coal-fired power stations and a shut down of one of the six reactors of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant lead to rolling blackouts throughout the country from early till late December 2014.

Mining safety problem

Ukrainian coal miners have to risk their lives every time they go to work since their job is extremely dangerous. The coal mines of Donbas are one of the most hazardous in the world due to enormous working depths (down from 300 to 1200 m) as a result of natural depletion, as well as due to high levels of methane explosion, coal dust explosion and rock burst dangers. As the Economic Review points out, "Since 1991, up to 300 [miners] have died at work every year".

On 17 December 2013 an accident at the Sviato-Pokrovska Mine (in Donetsk Oblast) killed four miners.

On 17 February 2014 a firedamp explosion in the Pivnichna Saltivka mine (in Donetsk Oblast), killed seven workers 815 meters underground.

Corruption and illegal mining

Ukrainian mines are sometimes run by mafia-like organizations. Often, these organizations derive large incomes from the mines that belong to the government. As a result, underfinancing causes many employees to have to wait to receive their monthly salary for weeks or even months. Additionally, a lack of financing influences the condition of many coal mines. Old mines don’t receive the necessary financial aid, therefore they are not being renovated or remodeled annually. All these problems together with other challenges have resulted in "gradually declining production capacity and a loss of global market share".

In the Donets Basin there are many extremely dangerous illegal mines.

Coal consumption

Coal consumption in 2012 grew to 61.207 million tonnes, up 6.2% compared with 2011. Most is used for public utilities and for power generation. However local coal only provides 50% of the country’s electricity needs, therefore requiring Ukraine to import from Russia and Poland.

As of 2013 the Ukrainian government plans to completely replace the natural gas used in the steel industry and some other economic sectors with coal.